(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a light emitting device, a print head, and an image forming apparatus.
(ii) Related Art
In image forming apparatuses employing an electrophotographic system, such as printers, copiers, or facsimile machines, image formation is performed as follows: irradiation using image information is performed by an optical recording unit, thereby obtaining an electrostatic latent image on a charged photoconductor; visualization is performed by applying toner onto the electrostatic latent image to obtain an image; and the image is transferred onto a sheet of recording paper, and is fixed. An optical scanning method is employed, in which a laser is used as such an optical recording unit, and in which exposure to light is performed by scanning using laser light in the main scanning direction. In addition to the optical scanning method, in recent years, a light emitting device using a light emitting diode (LED) print head (LPH) is employed in response to a demand for miniaturization of devices. In the LPH, multiple LEDs serving as light emitting elements are disposed along the main scanning direction.